If you think going to a palace for the day sounds like a snoozefest for a 3-year-old, wait till you see Hampton Court. It’s awesome.

A few weekends ago, we took the train there for the day. Just this past May, they opened the Magic Garden, a fantastic, fantastical playground featuring a big sand and water play area, tall castle towers with slides, an underground grotto, and even a fire-breathing dragon (OK, maybe it’s just a little steam, but STILL). E had a blast doing everything in the Magic Garden, and practicing curtseying and saying “Your Majesty.”

There’s also the UK’s oldest hedge maze, which we did twice, because E had so much fun trying to solve it. We also sniffed lots of roses in the gardens, roasted some meat in the enormous castle kitchen, and checked out the chapel. There’s a lot more I’d like to go back and see without a 3-year-old along, of course, but we really had a great time doing things she enjoyed, too.